T1 L17: Causation and study design

Question 1

What is a cross-sectional study?

Answer 1

When you collect data from many different individuals at a single point in time

Question 2

What is a case control study?

Answer 2

A retrospective study used to identify relevant exposures in 2 participating groups (one with the control and the other without)

Question 3

What is a cohort study?

Answer 3

It’s used to calculate incidence and identify exposure

Participants are selected into exposed or non-exposed groups but both groups are as similar as possible

Question 4

What is a randomised control trial?

Answer 4

Used to test the safety and efficacy of interventions

Participants are randomly allocated

Question 5

What is the difference between a descriptive and analytic study?

Answer 5

Descriptive: tests the amount and distribution in populations

Analytic: test hypothesis and identify and quantify risk or exposure

Question 6

What is a confounding variable?

Answer 6

A variable that influences both the dependent and independent variable

Question 7

What is Bradford-Hill criteria?

Answer 7

A list of causal factors in sickness, injury, and occupation

Strength of association
Consistency
Specificity 
Temporality
Biological gradient
Plausibility
Coherence
Experimental evidence 
Analogy